Miami police chief: I was offered $400,000 to quit

Miami Police Chief Miguel Exposito, who has been in a heated, yearlong dispute with two elected leaders seeking his resignation, said Wednesday that city officials offered him $400,000 in January to “leave his position as chief quietly,” a year before his expected retirement.

Exposito would not say who made the offer, referring only to “representatives of the city of Miami” in a statement he made through his spokesman.

Larry Spring, the city’s recently departed chief financial officer, confirmed parts of Exposito’s account. Spring said that at the request of Mayor Tomás Regalado and former City Manager Tony Crapp Jr., he set up a meeting with the chief to discuss Exposito’s possible departure from the city.

Spring said he didn’t know who proposed the $400,000 figure, though he was aware of the amount.

“No one from the administration came up with the figure for the chief, that I’m aware of,” Spring said.

In his statement, the chief said he was offered $200,000 up front to leave, with another $200,000 to come after he became a civilian again. The chief said he turned down the offer. Full story here.